Stone
1-200 CE
England
The British Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ancient Rome
Theme
Trade, Movement and Exchange
Subtheme
Indo-Roman Trade
Display Location
Coomaraswamy Hall
Findspot
Leadenhall Street, Europe
Measurements
Depth. 5 x Diameter. 114 cm
Accession Number
OA.290
Description
Bacchus (Greek Dionysos), the Roman god of wine believed to have travelled to India, the land of fabled riches and abundance. Typically seen with a panther, here he reclines on a very Indian tiger, referencing his mythical journey. He wears a wreath of vine leaves, holds a goblet in one hand and a pine-cone topped staff in the other.
Rome imported exotic animals such as tigers, lions, elephants and rhinoceroses from India and Africa, often to be killed in arenas as bloody public entertainment.
At the far-end of the Roman Empire, this mosaic panel from the floor an elite home, speaks of Europe’s enduring fascination with the idea of India.
